Your bargaining committee met with the employer Dec. 5. A second meeting planned for Dec. 7 has been cancelled.

We have been disappointed with the employer’s proposals at the bargaining table over the past few sessions. It has become clear the employer is not willing to respect and value the work you do for Capital Care. The proposal is far from what was included in the collective agreement for Alberta Health Services GSS, despite the fact that Capital Care is a wholly owned subsidiary of AHS.

Your bargaining committee expects the employer to bridge the gap between the benefits included in your agreement and that of AHSGSS. For example, AHSGSS members have a $100 increase for their flex spending account in each year of their agreement, while Capital Care’s proposal does not include an increase for 2018. This would put Capital Care GSS members even further behind their AHS counterparts, and we obviously find this unacceptable, especially when the employer is offering zero wage increases. We expect parity from this employer and will continue to fight for this on your behalf.

The employer has indicated that they will apply for mediation, but your union has made it clear that we are willing to continue bargaining at the table in pursuit of a fair contract that appropriately values and respects the work you do. We will continue to provide updates on the collective bargaining process and if you have questions in the meantime, please contact a member of your bargaining committee or an AUPE staff member listed below.